Sofitel St James: Rediscover London with a touch of luxury July 24, 2021 When a man is tired of London, he should probably try booking a staycation here. With international travel still (somehow) in disarray, and the languorous month of August looming, it’s only sensible that Brits look closer to home for a break. But forget the packed beaches of Cornwall or the rural gridlock of the Lake [...]
Land Rover Defender Hard Top review: The van that can July 24, 2021 The best selling car so far in 2021 is… a van. The Ford Transit Custom is currently beating the Vauxhall Corsa in the SMMT sales rankings – and by a clear margin of several thousand, too. ‘Building back better’ clearly means a focus on vehicles driven by people who build or make stuff – and now Land Rover is getting in on [...]
Weekend Escape: Broadstairs’ Belvidere Place a perfect home from home on the Kentish Riviera July 23, 2021 It is fair to say that Kent has experienced something of a rebrand over the past decade or so. Londoners discovered Whitstable – no, you probably can’t get a table at The Sportsman for lunch – and just about colonised poor Margate. Round the coast, Deal and Folkestone are increasingly being eyed by Zone 2ers [...]
How To Mix: John Glaser’s Whisky Highball July 23, 2021 Whisky cocktails are not something you imagine preparing weeks in advance but if you want to save yourself a little trouble and look like a total pro at your next barbecue, that’s what cocktail aficionado and spirits company founder John Glaser recommends. Glaser, founder of Compass Box Whisky, is a particular fan of the Highball, [...]
I’ll be toasting International Tequila Day with a Maestro DOBEL July 23, 2021 National and international awareness days for foods and drinks might have begun as cynical marketing ploys, but some have evolved into annual events that the public have embraced with genuine enthusiasm. One of the most successful of these pseudo-holidays is International Margarita Day, which takes place on 22 February, and in pre-Covid times was widely [...]
Why we must resurrect the tie from this boorish open-collar culture July 23, 2021 Since the general demise of hats, the most vulnerable, because the most superficially dispensable, piece of a gentleman’s wardrobe is the tie. In politics, we have perhaps David Cameron to blame for pioneering the look of dark suit and open-necked white shirt which may have been a carry-over from his days in public relations. For [...]
The world’s most refreshing summer drinks, from Ribena to Rooh Afza July 22, 2021 What do you drink in heatwaves? A lightly chilled Bardolino or an easy-drinking Beaujolais? Cider? Coconut water? Homemade elderflower cordial? Iced mint tea? Robinson’s Barley Water? Sachets of healthy, re-hydrating Dioralyte? For me it has to be Ribena. Dr Vernon Charley, a scientist at Long Ashton Agriculture and Horticulture Research Station near Bristol, invented “Ribena” [...]
Three new gins that prove small-batch distilling is alive and well July 22, 2021 You may have thought that the hand-crafted gin market had run out of USPs but three new small-batch gins show there is no drought of new ideas. New Zealand’s Scapegrace Gin, just launched in the UK, is the first black-ish gin. Because of botanicals including aronia berry, butterfly pea, saffron, pineapple and sweet potato, it [...]
The World To Come review – a passionate if familiar love story July 22, 2021 The early days of America provide the backdrop to this stripped-down drama, set in 19th century America. The daily routine of grieving mother Abigail (Katherine Waterston) is interrupted by the arrival of Tallie (Vanessa Kirby), a neighbour who comes for a visit. The pair strike up an instant friendship that turns to attraction, but their [...]
Night of The Kings is an inventive, hard-hitting prison drama July 22, 2021 The prison movie is an inexhaustible inspiration for filmmakers. Just when you think you’ve seen every permutation, a film comes along and shows you something different. Ivorian filmmaker Philippe Lacôte (2014’s Run) goes into the heart of an infamous location for his new story, Night of The Kings. We find ourselves The Ivory Coast’s notorious [...]